El Overo Z7 UAE Claim Women’s Argentine Open

Prior to The Argentine Open on Saturday 14 December, the Final of The III Women’s Argentine Open took place on ground two at Palermo, in front of thousands-strong crowds. With both El Overo Z7 UAE and La Dolfina Brava getting to the Final unbeaten, it was set to be an exciting affair of evenly matched sides. 

The first chukka saw the teams eye each other up, with neither side finding the uprights, but as the second chukka commenced, El Overo Z7 UAE’s Lía Salvo secured two goals, putting her side ahead, where they stayed for the remainder of the match. By half-time, El Overo Z7 UAE were 6-2 ahead, with little in response from the La Dolfina Brava ladies. Salvo led her team valiantly, scoring five goals despite playing at back. In the third chukka and on her debut in the Open, young Brit 18-year-old Milly Hine, kept up El Overo Z7’s pressure, scoring a golazo as she took the ball along the boards from halfway in front of the grandstands, and found the uprights with a neck shot from 

80 yards out. La Dolfina Brava came back in the seventh chukka, narrowing the lead to 9-5, but El Overo Z7 UAE’s lead was just too strong. Clara Cassino signed on the dotted line for El Overo Z7 UAE with a final goal in the eight chukka, to secure the title for the first time ever, 10-5. Salvo, for her unquestionable dominance, was awarded the Most Valuable Player honours, whilst the AAP Best Playing Pony went to Morena, played by Clara Cassino. 

This year’s tournament saw six ladies’ teams participate, with a record-breaking number of entrants from the UK. Despite Nina Clarkin’s absence from the tournament, as she is pregnant with her third child, the Brits reigned supreme, with 10 goaler (in Argentina) Hazel Jackson-Gaona and British Polo Gin founder Richards cousin Milly Hine (4 goals) securing the trophy alongside their Argentine teammates and the Santa María de Lobos ladies, Sarah Wiseman, Emma Wood and Tamara Fox having great success, only losing in the Semi Final to finalists La Dolfina Brava. With this much talent on the field, the future is bright for women’s polo.

The III Women’s Argentine Open Final Teams:

El Overo Z7 UAE (30): Clara Cassino (7), Milly Hine (4), Hazel Jackson-Gaona (10) & Lía Salvo (9)

La Dolfina Brava (29): Mía Cambiaso (7), Milagros Fernández Araujo (7), Milagros Sánchez (7) & Candelaria Fernández Araujo (8)

Content courtesy of Polo Times.